Tickets available for tonight’s Chamber of Commerce banquetIt’s time for the Russellville Area Chamber of Commerce to once again celebrate our extraordinary business community. As one of the Chamber’s most popular events, the Annual Membership Celebration and Banquet will attract over 300 of the area’s top business and community leaders. The Annual Membership Celebration and Banquet brings together the leadership and membership of the Russellville Area Chamber to celebrate the accomplishments of the p...

HanesBrands to expand facility, create 120 new jobsCLARKSVILLE — HanesBrands recently announced the expansion of its manufacturing facility in Clarksville. The company plans to invest more than $1.4 million in building renovations and new equipment. As part of the expansion, the company plans to add 120 new jobs and bringing its total employment at the facility to 570 people. More than 85 percent of the plant’s current employees have at least 10 years of service with the company. HanesBrands’ ...

Members of Arkansas congressional delegation seek rice salesLITTLE ROCK (AP) — Members of Arkansas' congressional delegation have joined colleagues from other states in urging Secretary of State John Kerry to encourage Iraq to purchase more American-produced rice. Arkansas Sens. John Boozman and Tom Cotton and Arkansas Reps. Rick Crawford and Bruce Westerman have signed a letter that seeks diplomatic assistance to improve trade relations with the Iraqi Grain Board. In recent years, the board has bought...

$71 million is investment in communityMembers of City Corp. and the Russellville City Council met Tuesday at City Hall to discuss a proposed $71 million needed to fund capital improvement projects over the next six years. City Corp. General Manager Steve Mallett and Dan Jackson of economist.com — a firm that studies utilities and comes up with water and sewer rate proposals to pay for capital improvements — showed how a rate increase of nearly $5 per month per average user would f...

Wal-Mart launches cash pickup option for tax refundsNEW YORK (AP) — Wal-Mart is launching a service allowing customers to pick up their tax refunds in cash at all stores nationwide. It's the discounter's latest move to offer more financial services, which is seen as a path to bringing more shoppers to its stores. The world's largest retailer, based in Bentonville, Arkansas, says the process will take the same time as if customers were to file their returns electronically and then get direct dep...

Simmons Bank announces transition for Russellville market managementPINE BLUFF — Simmons Bank, a wholly owned subsidiary of Simmons First National Corporation, announced Friday the decision by Ronald “Ron” B. Jackson, Russellville Community Bank Chairman and CEO, to begin the transition of his leadership role to R. Scott Hill, Russellville Community President and Denton E. Tumbleson, Clarksville Community President. The transition will begin on April 1. Jackson will remain an active member of the bank and cont...

Opponents of Big River Steel mill defend suit against plantLITTLE ROCK (AP) — Opponents of a new steel mill under construction in eastern Arkansas argued in a court hearing Friday that they didn't forfeit their right to sue to stop the plant just because the state had already issued a permit. "You cannot simply take a document and write 'permit' on it and say, 'That's good enough for us,'" Nucor Steel attorney David Taggart argued during a federal court hearing in Little Rock. Nucor Steel sued the $1....

Steel company lays off 500 employees in Texas, BlythevilleBLYTHEVILL (AP) — A steel company that caters to the energy industry is laying off 500 employees at facilities in Conroe, Texas, and at Blytheville. Television station KAIT in Jonesboro reported that Tenaris Hickman laid off the workers Friday. It cited developments with the "energy industry's present circumstances." Oil prices have fallen for months and are at a five-year low. Tenaris said in a statement that the company is adjusting producti...

Russellville City Council tables talks on Alliance agreement A primary reason the Russellville City Council called a special meeting Tuesday was to discuss its agreement with the Arkansas Valley Alliance for Economic Development (AVAED). However, a Pulaski County Circuit Judge’s ruling may have put a temporary halt to economic development funding — in Russellville and most likely throughout Arkansas. After discussing Monday’s ruling that stated Little Rock and North Little Rock must stop paying their re...

Local gas dips below $2Arkansas River Valley residents are reaping the benefits of the lowest gas prices in nearly six years. With gas prices less than $2 in Russellville, local gas stations are seeing an increase in sales. As of Friday afternoon, Wal-Mart and Kroger recorded the lowest price in Russellville at $1.93, while Shell, Flying J, Pilot and Phillips 66 all recorded $1.99 per gallon. Mark Fletcher, owner of Russellville-based Fletcher Oil Company Inc., whic...

SWEPCO withdraws plans for $116 million power line LITTLE ROCK (AP) — Southwestern Electric Power Co. says it is withdrawing its application to build a 50-mile-long, high-voltage power line through northwest Arkansas. The Louisiana-based company says it withdrew its application for state regulatory approval of the $116 million power line on Tuesday. In a statement, the company says the Southwest Power Pool had notified it that the project was no longer needed due to lower demand and the cancel...

Eaton presides over last meeting as mayor Russellville Mayor Bill Eaton and Aldermen Martin Irwin and Randy Horton were recognized during the last City Council meeting of 2014 on Thursday night at City Hall. And it was a special night for more than those occasions. Eaton, who served as alderman before being elected mayor in 2011, not only thanked the city’s employees and the community for their support the last four years, but pointed out he “married the most wonderful woman 48 years ...

Russellville aldermen to meet with Alliance membersThe Russellville City Council approved the 2015 General Fund and Special Funds budgets Thursday night, with the promise aldermen will call a special meeting with members of the Arkansas Valley Alliance for Economic Development (AVAED) to discuss the city’s contribution to the organization. Finance Committee chairman and Mayor-elect Randy Horton amended his motion to pass the Special Funds budget with the exception of items regarding Alliance f...

Sanitizer plant set for Fort Smith FORT SMITH (AP) — A company that makes a key component of sanitizers says it will build a pilot production facility in Fort Smith and eventually put its company headquarters there. TiFiber Inc. says the move could create up to 100 jobs by 2019. Production would begin next year to meet Food and Drug Administration certification, then expand into significant production in 2017. The Southwest Times Record newspaper reported Thursday that TiFiber ...